José James On World Cafe

Originally from Minneapolis, José James began chasing his dreams of jazz singing at 17. He found his way to London and New York, and eventually ended up at The New School to study jazz vocals. James was always interested in a musical place where jazz, R&B, hip-hop and more can all come together.

James finds that musical niche on his new album, No Beginning, No End. In this installment of World Cafe, the singer and his band perform songs that seamlessly blend a multitude of funk, hip-hop and jazz sounds. In an interview, James also discusses the greatness of Marvin Gaye arranger Leon Ware, and elaborates on why he chose to make a "quiet" album.